Naturopathy is a traditional approach to health that is holistic, meaning that it encompasses the whole being. It is based on natural and preventative care. Naturopathic medicine combines many methodologies, such as acupuncture, massage, chiropractic adjustment, homeopathy and herbal cures, along with sensible concepts such as good nutrition, exercise and relaxation techniques. Some refer to it as “alternative care”, which is ironic, since naturopathy and naturopathic medicine are rooted in many age-old remedies that predate what’s known as “modern medicine”. A core concept is one of “doing no harm”, and complementing any necessary treatment. The terms naturopathy and naturopathic medicine are often interchangeable.

The AANMC member schools are four-year professional level medical programs that result in a doctor of naturopathic medicine degree/diploma (ND). Students are educated in all of the same basic sciences as an MD or DO as well as the latest advances in science in combination with natural approaches to therapy, disease prevention, and clinical education. In addition to a standard medical curriculum, the naturopathic physician is required to complete four years of training in clinical nutrition, acupuncture, homeopathic medicine, botanical medicine, physical medicine and counseling.

Do NDs base their diagnoses and treatments primarily on ancient healing practices or on current medical and scientific breakthroughs, or both?

Today’s naturopathic physicians artfully blend modern, cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with ancient and traditional methods. These physicians are succeeding in their goal to present the world with a healing paradigm founded on a rational balance of tradition, science and respect for nature. Because naturopathic physicians believe in understanding patients from the cellular level up, they actively pursue the latest biochemical findings relating to the workings of the body and the dynamics of botanical medicines, nutrition, homeopathy and other natural therapies. Their diagnoses and therapeutics are increasingly supported by scientific evidence.

How long will it take me to feel better?
The speed at which people get better varies from person to person and from condition to condition. Most patients will begin to notice improvement in their chronic symptoms during the first few weeks of treatment, and sometimes faster.

In acute illnesses, you will begin to feel better in as little as a few hours.

How will I know if I am getting better?
For many people, improvement is very obvious because their symptoms begin to improve quickly. For others, the first signs of improvement are more subtle. These early signs may include:

When will my treatment end?
This is a very difficult question to answer because there are many factors that can affect the speed of your recovery, including:

the severity of your illness

how long you have been sick

your stress level

your attitude

how closely you stick to the treatment plan

complications that occur during treatment

In chronic conditions that are curable, it takes approximately 2-4 years to reach a point where the disease has been cured and you can stop treatment. This length of time can be shorter in some people and longer in others.

It is important to remember that you will feel better and better throughout the time you are treated. If you end treatment too early, before the disease is fully cured, it is likely your symptoms will return.

Once the disease has been cured, you can stop treatment and remain in good health. It is achieving a lasting cure that takes time. Feeling better happens much more quickly.

What if my treatment doesn't work?
If you don't get better, despite our best efforts, we will look at a different approach to treatment. If we feel we have done all we can to help you recover, we will refer you to someone else who can offer a different approach.

Our only goal is to see you get better and we will try to help you accomplish this in whatever way we can.

Do you refer to other doctors?
Yes. We believe in a team approach wherever this will benefit you. We frequently refer to medical specialists to assist us in diagnosis and testing, or to help us monitor people with serious conditions.

We also will refer you to practitioners who do other forms of treatment if these therapies will help you get better and we do not do them ourselves.

Will there be any setbacks during the course of my treatment?
After seeing your symptoms improve for a time, you will eventually notice your symptoms beginning to return. This is called a relapse and is completely normal.

We will make an adjustment to your homeopathic treatment and your symptoms will start to improve again. Usually, they will get even better than they were before the relapse.

Your healing process will follow this same pattern over and over again, but the relapses will become less and less intense and further and further apart until they stop occurring entirely.

Why do you ask so many questions?
Homeopathic treatment can only be successful if we understand you as a whole person. This means we must understand all of your symptoms, past and present, not just your chief complaint.

Also, we must understand what makes you different from other people with the same condition.

There may be many remedies that can potentially treat your condition, but we must find the one that fits you as an individual in order to be successful and achieve cure.

Why are follow-up visits necessary if I'm doing better?
Appropriate follow-up may be the single most important ingredient for success. Even when you are feeling better, these visits give us valuable information that helps us keep your treatment on track for the duration of your treatment.

What is an aggravation?
Some people taking a homeopathic remedy will notice that their symptoms get worse before they get better. We call this a homeopathic aggravation and consider it to be a very good sign. It means you are responding deeply to the treatment and can expect to see improvement shortly.

Aggravations:

Begin within the first 72 hours of taking the homeopathic remedy. A worsening of your symptoms after this time is less likely to be an aggravation.

Tend to be mild and to last no more than a few days. Infrequently, they can be more intense and last longer. If this is the case, you should call us.

What is a return of old symptoms?
Some people undergoing homeopathic treatment will experience the re-occurrence of a symptom they used to have in the past, but were not having when treatment started. This is a very good sign. This only occurs in people who are getting better and usually means the diseases is curable.

Will there be any setbacks during the course of my treatment?
After seeing your symptoms improve for a time, you will eventually notice your symptoms beginning to return. This is called a relapse and is completely normal.

We will make an adjustment to your homeopathic treatment and your symptoms will start to improve again. Usually, they will get even better than they were before the relapse.

Your healing process will follow this same pattern over and over again, but the relapses will become less and less intense and further and further apart until they stop occurring entirely.

What is a return of old symptoms?
Some people undergoing homeopathic treatment will experience the re-occurrence of a symptom they used to have in the past, but were not having when treatment started. This is a very good sign. This only occurs in people who are getting better and usually means the diseases is curable.

What are homeopathic remedies made from?
Homeopathic remedies are natural medicines made from plants, minerals, and some animal substances, but by far the largest number are made from plants.

They are prepared in a very unique way so that the final product used in treatment is highly dilute and, therefore, very safe and non-toxic.

Small sugar pellets are moistened with the medicine, then bottled. The most common way to take a homeopathic remedy is to place a few of these pellets under the tongue and allow them to dissolve. Most people, even small children, find that they taste good and are very easy to take.

What is the difference between herbal medicine and homeopathy?
The two main differences between herbal medicine and homeopathy are in the way homeopathic remedies are chosen for the patient and the way homeopathic remedies are made.

The selection of homeopathic remedies is highly individualized, taking into account all of the patient's symptoms, past and present.

Homeopathic remedies are prepared using a very unique process by which they are highly diluted.